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Six Henderson elementary schools are on a list of 74 in Clark County that are being considered to switch from a nine-month to a year-round schedule next year.

Only three of those are likely to be converted because of crowding: Ulis Newton Elementary, which is 23 percent over capacity; Edna Hinman Elementary, which is 13 percent over; and Selma Bartlett Elementary, which is 23 percent over.

The other three — Sue Morrow, C.T. Sewell and Robert Taylor elementary schools — are on the list as a technicality, because their attendance zones are being considered for change.

The list is part of a new process the Clark County School District began this year after changes of other schools from nine-month to year-round drew strong parent objections. All schools with any possibility to be converted — either because of rezoning or being over capacity — must be listed on the Clark County School District’s Web site.

Realistically, most of the schools on the list probably won’t convert, Sharon Dattoli, director of the demographics and zoning department, said.

In 2007, parents at Neil Twitchell and John C. Vanderburg elementary schools held a protest in front of the school and asked to be given time to see if the crowding would work itself out.

District officials granted the two schools an extra year, because parents hadn’t been given appropriate notice. A year later, parents were informed both schools would start the 2008-2009 school year on a year-round schedule. They did not fight it the second time around.

“We learned from that,” Southeast Region Superintendent Denson said.

The process of informing parents when schools could be converted now will begin in January. The information will be on the School District’s Web site, individual school Web sites, or ParentLink, a Web site parents can use to stay informed on issues affecting their children.

One factor district officials will begin to consider is how classrooms are being used, Denson said. Often, because of the variety of programs a school has, it will be shown as over capacity but it will have empty classrooms. If that were the case, schools will likely be taken off the list.

Newton is finishing its second year on a nine-month calendar. Schools must remain on a calendar for two years once converted, to see how attendance levels off. In cases such as Newton’s, the region superintendents will keep an eye on the school to see if it is continuing to grow. If so, it may need to return to a year-round calendar.

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Per the 1998 Bond all Elementary Schools were supposed to convert to year round. Only about 1/2 of the schools are on year round and CCSD continues to build schools with your tax dollars.

CCSD has multiple schools that are only 60 or 70% utilized on a 9 month calendar. Liberty HS (which is fairly new) is only 1/2 full. CCSD needs to rezone the entire valley and convert all schools to a year round calender. It will solve all their budget issues as they could close well over 50 to 60 schools. Instead they choose mild rezoning and calendar conversions to confuse and upset parents with the hope that voters will pass a bond in 2010.

In 1998 (on the bond) the district projected enrollement to grow by 150,000 students. The actual growth was around 114,000 students. Only 76% of the growth came yet they built capactiy for nearly all the students and bought all the portalbe trailers.

Just like the LV real estate market, CCSD has over built the district and can't afford to run it now. They need to do what they said they would do in the bond and run all Elementary Schools year round and rezone the enitre valley accordingly.

kevjandon,Excellent point, I have long thought the CCSD was a bloated pig.

I am always curious when the CCSD wants more bond money, isn't this like giving a compulsive gambler more money and later in the week asking him/her "where did the money go I gave you?". The list of excuses and stories sound pretty much the same as a CCSD official describing the budget process.